When Luck Leaves You (open to anyone)

[SashaKovalev]

(ooc: just thought it might be a fun rp if anyone is looking for entertainment of any kind. If this doesn’t work for the org, just delete it, or whatever.)

IC:

He’d just had the ship repaired. And refueled. Clearly he should have put the effort into doing it himself, for there was already another problem with the ship. The fuel gauge had once worked, but only moments ago had flickered to empty and refused to move. He cursed angrily, for clearly it had not been refueled to begin with, and the gauge had been tampered with so he would believe it had been. This would be another lesson learned in his training to become a sith master - and it would be learned the hard way.

There was only one planet near his coordinates, and the young sith knight knew nothing of it, other than the fact that it was, by his understanding of the sparce information on the holopad, rather unhospitable to all forms of life. But landing somewhere would be safer than floating out in space, and so he settled for the lesser of evils.

No one had responded to the calls he sent out to the planet, requesting permission to land. No one, it seemed, lived here.

As his ship set down, he surveyed the landscape, a dark expression on his face. He had a bad feeling about all of this. A very bad feeling that nagged him. He tried to push it from his mind. And before he left the ship he attempted a transmission back to the castle on Corellia. But he couldn’t get a clear transmission through, and so he gathered his blaster, slung a blaster rifle over his back, and then walked, lightsaber in hand, out of the ship. It was his only choice, for the moment, if he ever wished to return home. He had to find someone who could help him.

His shoulders slumped as he stepped outside. This place was the pitts. Desolate and unforgiving. For a moment he doubted there was life there, but something, something told him there was. And so he went in search of it. While Luck seemed to have skipped out in him in terms of his ship, it was at least with him as the castle, in the distance, came into sight.

And it did not give him a warm fuzzy feeling. quite the opposite. In fact, it looked quite gloomy and there were no visible signs of life. But he had no other choice. And so he continued on until he came to the gates. That was where he stood now, hesitating as to his next move.

His light brown hair fell over his violet eyes, and in the wind, he brushed it back impatiently, uselessly, as it only came back to whip his eyes, stinging them slightly. He cursed under his breath and put a hand to the gates, as if to test them, to see if they would somehow open before him.

[Milivikal k'Vik]

"S i t h..." It came as a distant whisper, a disembodied voice drifiting upon the wind. His landing had not been gentle, and the subtle rythm of dusts that flowed around Bast had changed. Milivikal had abbandoned her meal in favor of curiosity.

She stood on a distant rock ridge that imposed itself between the grounded ship and the Castle. The Siren's pale blue eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms.

"S i t h..." Mili intoned again, but it came with more force and direction, "...why have you come?" her cool voice wrapped itself about his head, compelling him to turn away from the gates and twoard where she stood.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

De'Ville threw open the gates, and the outward movement of the doors sent the man backwards, away from the castle. She stepped outside discretely, and closed the gates quietly behind her, as if her unexpected and fast entrance had never occurred. "Are you trying to break down my front door?"

She stomped her foot, and then grinned as the man got to his feet. "You are far from home."

[SashaKovalev]

Sith...why have you come? The voice seemed to surround him, echo in his ears. It seemed to pull him, willing him to turn in another direction, but the gates made his decision for him, before he had a moment to decide. The force of them knocked him to the ground.

Are you trying to break down my front door? He heard as he landed quite solidly on his butt, his hands sprawled in an rather futile attempt to break the harshness of the impact. He looked to the voice as he slowly climbed back to his feet, absently brushing the dirt from his clothing. His violet eyes studied her.

You are far from home She stated. It was the truth. He was quite far from Corellia, the place he now called home. How she knew it, or whether she had merely assumed it, he wasn’t quite sure. Except that he could feel, faintly, her presence in the force. It wasn’t a familiar signature to him, but something about it managed to give him he sense that he could either be in very good hands, or he had most certainly fallen into the very, very wrong ones.

He nodded.

“Yes, I am far from home.” He conceded. He wanted to clearly state the reason for his presence here, but something told him she already knew, or perhaps it was that he didn’t feel that it was the right time to lay out all of his cards. He was wary of strangers, for he’d learned over the course of his training, over the course of his life, that people were not always as they seemed at an eye’s glance. And as he knew very little about this planet and the people – or person – as it seemed, that inhabited it, he felt the need to perhaps know a bit more before declaring the fact that he was stranded there, and completely, for the moment, at her mercy.

“My name is Sasha. I’m a knight of the Sith Order.” Newly knighted, though earned over quite some time of difficult training, and various lessons learned. Some of them more brutal and memorable than others. He wasn’t sure why he bothered to add his title, or who he represented. Perhaps he hoped that the word Sith might somehow give him some sort of bargaining power, or perhaps he was just so used to declaring it that it rolled off of his tongue without thought.

“If I might ask….” He began, his tone still somewhat relaxed, despite the uneasy feeling he had, and certainly polite, “Who are you?” His eyes, the part of him that always betrayed the emotions he worked so hard to hide, looked to Lilaena De'Ville, a curious, questioning expression within them.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

At the words "the Sith Order" Lilaena bristled and stepped forward. "Who am I? Who am I?" Her voice reverberated from the walls behind her and assailed his ears with its intensity. A cheap Force trick, perhaps, but very effective.

"I am the Exile! I am the creature of the Darkness which was banished from your halls. I existed before you...so I will ask....why...are...you...here?"

[SashaKovalev]

Her voice was loud, painfully reverberating in his ears as she replied to his question. He knew this to be a trick of the force. One he had never learned or used, but one he had been victim to before. Heturned his head away, ducking slightly, as if that would possibly make the echo stop.

And when it had, his violet eyes turned back to look at her, perhaps slightly wider than they might normally be, in surprise and a bit of confusion.

He knew the history of the Sith Order. He had studied it well, could recite it on command if it was ever demanded of him. His loyalty ran deep. And yet, he knew nothing of De'Ville. At least not on sight. He had seen nothing in his studies to tell of her - these were, perhaps, records kept only by the council, or perhaps had never been recorded by the elders. And when he had faltered, when he had committed the treasonous act of mingling blood with a jedi, and been forgiven, he hadnt thought to ask of others. He hadnt wanted to know, for in his mind, he knew already he was one of the fortunate ones who had been forgiven his mistake.

If...no, when he returned to Corellia, he would ask his master, Lady Vader, of the one who had been banished. But for now, he had to find a way to return home, for this woman, quite understandably as she was banished from the order he now represented, seemed rather unhappy with his presence here.

The eighteen year old kid looked to De'Ville, his cheeks flushing slightly as he was reminded of his youth by her words. Reminded of how much he still had to learn, and briefly he was humbled before he bristled slightly himself. He hated feeling this way. he wanted to know everything there was to know, how to do everything a sith could do - and his impatience for this knowledge made him angry with himself, with his mother who hadnt taught him these things, with the father he never knew, with the entire galaxy, for that matter.

And so his voice was slightly petulant as he replied. The foolishness of youth.

His arms crossed over his chest as he looked to her, uncrossing only briefly to push his hair from his eyes once again,

"I'm having problems with my ship." He stated, grudgingly. Which was the truth, certainly, but not the whole truth. His words made it sound as if he could leave if needed, when certainly, this was hardly the case.

[Maester Wargrave]

A slight chiding voice came from behind De'Ville as a very familiar black-cloaked man came from the shadows.

"Ah...Mister Kovalev..." the figure stood next to De'Ville.

"Tell me, have you returned to continue our duel? No Sith Masters to bail you out this time..."

Maester Wargrave stared, stony-faced at Sasha.

"Now...really...why are you here?"

[SashaKovalev]

The chiding voice was familiar. Unfortunately for the young sith, it was chillingly familiar.

Tell me, have you returned to continue our duel? No Sith Masters to bail you out this time... The words were mocking, and Sasha stood facing the two women he didnt know, and the man he had faced once before.

He had still been an apprentice then, and had learned much since that day on the rooftop, but he was well aware of the strength this one possessed and this was when he knew he was probably not in for a pleasant visit to Vjun.

His hand gripped his saber just a bit tighter, remembering all too well that this was the man who had taken it from him. It had been returned, oddly enough, though a special delivery to the young sith, but still, he held a grudge for its disapearance in the first place.

He didnt bother to answer the question of whether or not he was returning for a duel. But he did feel his cheeks flush, for the last time, Live Wire had been the one to bail out both him and Krieg, a fellow apprentice from what might have been their deaths.

The demand for an explanation of his presence there...his teeth clenched, and he glanced at the ground, his cheeks still burning in embarrassment of his last encounter with Wargrave, before he looked back to him. His face had the expression of a young boy who was angry, but knew it was best to keep his mouth shut if he wanted to avoid more trouble.

It was too bad he couldnt learn to do that.

"I already told them..." He replied, nodding towards the two women, "Im having problems with my ship." His tone was less respectful than it should have been. It wasnt that he didnt respect Wargrave, for he did, actually. He'd had some experience with the man's abilities, and knew him to be a formiddible, if not deadly opponent. But his wounded pride somehow wouldnt allow him to speak as respectfully as he should have.

He was, afterall, only eighteen, and he would learn from his mistakes.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

Eagerly swaggering out of the gates, Vega regarded the newly promoted Sith Knight with all the respect that he deserved – absolutely none. The Sith and particularly the Sith Order were a source of amusement for him, and also a reminder of past faltering, but entertaining none the less. The Lupine’s cyan eyes fixed onto the boy as he gave him a predatory once over, chuckling. He’d listened to the discussion from behind the gates for long enough to know that now was the time for him to step in and become part of what seemed like a ritual slandering of the Sithling.

“I say we take his ship for our own, then leave his fate to the acid rains!”

His eyes momentarily searched the varied faces of the Black Hand for a brief second to see reactions, though it was hard to decide what they were thinking as they were a very strange bunch in the most part and a troop he didn’t understand at all. It was as if they were all tied up in strenuous mental problems and profound dilemmas, whilst Vega was quite content. Of course, he hadn’t understood ‘comrades’ amongst the Empire, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t co-exist and work together for a mutual benefit.

[SashaKovalev]

A fourth. He shifted uneasily, the only visible sign at the moment that he was growing, by the moment, quite concerned about his plight.

The suggestion of his ship being taken, and him being left to the acid rain was anything but a delightful thought. His cheeks might have lost some of their color at this.

The problem might have been that he knew little of the dark jedi, knew little of why they would possibly have any problem with him. De'Ville, he understood, somewhat. She had made quite clear her dislike...no - hated, of the Sith Order. But the others...

He chalked it up to pure darkness. Mu Satach had warned him of this quite some time ago, and it was unfortunate that he was now beginning to understand all of this the hard way.

His violet eyes flickered to Vega, and he might have straightened his 6'2'" foot frame just a bit in an attempt to seem more at ease than he truly was.

You're about as hospitable as your planet. He thought to himself, but was smart enough to keep these thoughts from becoming spoken words. Although, he might have been better off with those than what was to come out of his mouth instead.

He sighed softly and regarded Vega.

"So long as my struggle is entertainment enough and worth whatever price my safe return might be, I suppose that might be a good idea..."

He was normally a rather respectful kid, at least around the elders with the order, but his particular predicament had him a bit concerned, and his words were perhaps an attempt to make himself feel a bit braver than he truly felt.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

It was unwise to let ones thoughts go unbridled around Force users, as the Knight should have known. They rang clearly in the air to the stronger minded and were ripe for the plucking.

“Hospitable? Would you welcome an intruder into your home? For you to be here is as bad as if a Jedi were to set foot upon this ground!”

The Dark Lord crossed his arms over his chest and snorted in distaste. There was little more he could do to decide the boy’s fate than chip in comments such as these, as he had no real sway over the proceedings within the group – this task seemed to fall primarily to Wargrave, the Hobgoblin and DeVille. Never the less, he didn’t feel as though he was bound to silence (infact he would never accept such a policy) so would continue to chime in whenever he pleased.

[SashaKovalev]

That had always been a weakness of his. Though he had worked hard to keep his thoughts to himself, occasionally, he slipped. And here, he certainly had, for Vega had picked up on them. His eyes flickered to the ground, something he often did when he was ashamed, or knew he was in the wrong.

He glanced to the others, who seemed, for the moment to be enjoying the amusement of watching Lord Van Derveld toy with the young knight.

For you to be here is as bad as if a Jedi were to set foot upon this ground!

Confusion briefly crossed his features, and was gone. If he made it back, he had a hell of a lot of questions to ask of his master.

"I didnt intend to intrude here." He finally admitted, his voice not nearly as bold as before.

"Im having problem with my ship and I thought...." His words trickled off. It didnt matter what he thought. What mattered was that he was stranded on what he now understood to be enemy territory. And somehow, he had to find a way off this forsaken planet.

Briefly, he considered whether or not the ship could make it back out into space - perhaps he'd be better off taking his chances out there. But that would require getting back to the ship, and an amazing amount of luck, which seemed to have left him.

He shifted his weight, his senses alert, for he had quite a bad feeling about this situation. If he lived through this, his master was going to kill him. How many times had she told him to think before he acted? His skills were strong, as was his determination, but his youth, well, it was certainly a large contributor to the mistakes and foolish decisions he sometimes made.

[Maester Wargrave]

"For the record, Mister Kovalev," Wargrave said, keeping his eyes on the young man, "I do believe you have a problem with your ship.

"But I also think you are here for another reason."

The Dark Jedi paused, slowly slipping his mind into Kovalev's thoughts. Although the man was a Sith Knight, the more powerful Black Hand member slipped through the defenses like a Wookie slips through trees.

"Why come to VJun in search of someone you do not know exists? Only a distance memory of a face you never know...have never seen.

"Is that what you're here for, Mister Kovalev? So you believe one of us might be that face you haven't seen?

[SashaKovalev]

His entire body seemed to stiffen, and his face most certainly paled.

His father. The man he had never known. The man he knew absolutely nothing of. The man he hated, yet wanted, for some perverse reason, to know. Wanted to know if the man responsible for his ever having come to life was the reason he was pulled to the darkside.

And how Wargrave had pulled this from him....it infuriated the young sith, and angered him even more that there was nothing he could do about it. That he was weaker than Wargrave, weaker, likely, than any of those who stood before him. One day, he vowed to himself, he would not be.

Did he believe one of them might be his father? Perhaps. But then he wondered that of every face he passed.

He trembled, visibly, with anger, words escaping him for the moment.

"I'm having problems with my ship." Was all he was finally able to muster, his eyes, perhaps unwisely, leaving those before him, unable to look into any of them, for the years of anger, shame, and disgust were gathered there, and they threatened to lead him down a very dangerous road. He had been foolish to ever think at all that his father still lived, that he would ever know who his father was, and this embarrassment heated his cheeks.

If there was anywhere he could possibly have been at the moment, it would have been anywhere but on the grounds where he now stood.

[Maester Wargrave]

"That is true...you do have problems with your ship, but you also seek something..."

He strode towards Sasha, towering over the younger man.

"I see you still have your lightsaber...do you hold onto it with a tighter grip? There are those who would not return it to you.

"Now...what is it you seek?"

[SashaKovalev]

As Wargrave separated himself from the others and strode towards Sasha, the young knight did what he could to remain calm. This was the man he had faced before, the man who had made it seem childs play when dealing with both he and Krieg.

Wargrave towered over the teenaged kid, who could only look up at him, his violet eyes somewhat resentful that this man could go that deep within him, to the things he had buried long ago, to know his innermost thoughts. That this man knew the one thing that could unravel him - that could release anger and anguish in one blow had an odd effect on the sith.

On one hand, he wanted to ignite his saber. He wanted to take his anger out on Wargrave. Wanted to show him that he was more than an apprentice now. Wanted to destroy this man who could make him feel so foolish.

And on the other hand, he wanted to trust him. Wargrave had not sent him to his death before when he'd had the chance. He had taken his saber from him to prove a point, and then mysteriously returned it. And now, it seemed, he was offering the young knight a chance at something that no one had ever offered him before.

By refllex his hand tightened on his saber. This hand was artificial, for he had cut off his own to prove his loyalty to the order, to Lady Vader, after making the grievious mistake of mingling blood with a jedi. She was his master now, and under her, his skills had grown. She could give to him what few members of the order could, but she could not give him his father. And this was something he had wanted for longer than he could remember.

It was a difficult answer for him to give.

"I seek assistance with my ship." He finally replied, but his eyes, as they continued to look to Wargrave held confusion in them. And his thoughts and emotions, though he sought to conceal them, were still detectable. He wanted to ask Wargrave why he cared at all. Why he would bother asking what it was Sasha truly sought. Did Wargrave know something? And why had he bothered to return the lightsaber to the young sith?

But the others were there, and already, he felt foolish in front of them. Felt every bit the teenaged kid that he was – not the powerful sith he sought to be.

“And I seek a private audience with you.” He added, knowing that this was a rather large request, and a dangerous one at that. As he asked, the tone of his voice almost carried defeat. He had been excited to be knighted, proud of this accomplishment, and in only moment, Wargrave had managed to demoralize him – teaching him by the way he’d rattled him, the way he’d read his thoughts, that he still had far to go in his training. And he had put Sasha in a position that the young sith wondered too much about Wargrave’s actions to walk away. He couldn’t leave Vjun without his questions being answered.

[Maester Wargrave]

"A meeting with me?" Wargrave smirked as he looked down upon the younger Sasha. Indeed this younger Sith was

"Why? Why seek an audience with someone who might just kill you in private?

"This is not a classroom, Mister Kovalev. This is real life..."

He stared down into Sasha's violet eyes with cold blue ones.

"Now...why do you wish to speak with me?"

[Vega Van-Derveld]

The anger the Sith felt towards Wargrave seemed familiar. Not in the sense that Vega had felt it before, but that it was a reaction which Sasha had on more than one occasion. Mingled with this rage, curiously, was a sensation of doubt, as if he was unsure as to whether he should welcome the Dark Jedi or arm himself in an attempt to deal with them. Quite obviously, Maester knew more than he was letting on to both Sasha and the others, and Vega had has suspicions pertaining to the subject of this extra knowledge.

Now was not the time for him to interject – no. It was becoming far too interesting without his participation, and he was anxious to see the conclusion of this line of questioning Wargrave had formulated. Very subtly, the Lupine pressed his mind against the Sith Knights in a shrewd attempt to influence his decision making into revealing his true nature more rapidly.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

De'Ville smacked the Lupine in the shoulder. "Knock it off. I can feel you as well." The uncomfortable buzzing sensation in her mind lessened as the former Sith looked at her, not pleased that she had touched him in such a manner.

"Come, brother, let us see about Master Kovalev's ship. I am sure that Wargrave can handle this audience himself." She grabbed Vega's hand and pulled him away from Wargrave and the Sith apprentice, walking out towards the Siren.

[SashaKovalev]

A meeting with me? Why? Why seek an audience with someone who might just kill you in private? This is not a classroom, Mister Kovalev. This is real life...

Sasha bristled at these words. They were taunting. They were mocking. And they underestimated his intelligence. He quite realized this wasnt a classroom. Classrooms had been easy compared to real life. They were predictable, and so long as you did your homework, you were prepared. With real life, doing your homework wasnt always going to help, for someone always seemed to be changing the day's lesson on you without warning.

As Wargrave's cold blue eyes stared at him, he waited for the man to finish speaking before he responded.

Now...why do you wish to speak with me?

Sasha could feel pressure for a moment to blurt out exactly what was on his mind, but it was gone an instant later.

As Vega was pulled away by the female, towards the other, Sasha was left with Wargrave.

Instead of answering the question, he redirected with another. It was, perhaps bold, but he was, afterall, a sith, and his anger and youth drove him to make demands. It wasnt that he thought he could best the man who stood before him. He knew that if Wargrave chose, he could likely put an end to his life. But he wasnt going to go down crying, or pleading for mercy. He was a sith knight. It wasnt part of the code he believed in, and beyond that, he knew enough of Wargave to know that the man would not find sympathy for the weak. If he was to live, if he was to find the information he sought, he would have to be strong. He would have to prove himself worthy.

"Why didnt you kill me when you had the chance before? On the roof that day..." His words were a mixture of a demand for information, and a heartfelt request from one man to another.

[Maester Wargrave]

Wargrave gave a slight smile, "Your death did not suit me. It was simply a test for your master. Which she passed...barely.

"Now answer my question, why do you wish to speak with me?"

[Milivikal k'Vik]

Mili sat, crossing her legs on the ridge. The proceedings between Wargrave and the Sith were of minor interest at best. Lilaena berating Vega, however, was a curiosity. Of all her kindred in the Hand, she felt least close to De'Ville, which was of interest in itself.

Her intrest in the little spat waned quickly, and she brought her haunting gaze to bear on the Sith's ship.

It was so different than the ships of old, still unsettling, though she had been free for the better part of a standard year.

The Siren stared into Bast's dirty sky, temporarily free of the dangerous acid-bearing clouds. Stars had begun to peek out from the haze as the sun began to set.

[SashaKovalev]

Those werent the words he hoped to hear, though as he heard them, he felt foolish for having wanted to hear something different. For a moment, he hesitated with his answer. Then finally, he laid it all out on the table.

"I dont know who my father is," He began, "and foolishly, I look for him in every face that I see."

"But when I ended up here today, it wasnt in search for him, it was because my ship is out of fuel. Landing here and risking my luck seemed a hell of a lot better than floating in space, just waiting to be the next easy target." His cheeks were flushed, and there was anger in his voice that rose as he spoke.

"I wasnt looking for trouble, I wasnt trying to intrude upon life here on this hell hole of a planet. Its even worse than the pathetic place I grew up on..." He added, his eyes casting about for a moment as he shook his head in disgust.

"But now that I clearly have done both things, and its looking like I should have run my chances with space rather than the lot of you here, Im figuring I might as well try to get a few answers about a few things that are still curious to me before you finish what you began on the rooftop."

He sighed. His voice had been rising with each word, but now as he began again it was resigned.

"Pathetically, I suppose I thought that maybe your answer to my last question would give me a clue about my father. That maybe you knew my father, and that was why you didnt kill me. That was why you returned by lightsaber." He turned the lightsaber over in his hand, staring at it for a moment before he looked back to Wargrave.

"That was why I wished to speak with you."

[Maester Wargrave]

Wargrave stared at the lad for a brief moment.

"Your father," he said almost contemplating, "I fear I have no knowledge of your father..."

He saw the young man's face fall instantly, then reassert itself.

"But...I am willing to help you in your quest."

[SashaKovalev]

This, he had not expected. Any sort of assistance from the man that had unti this moment only mocked him.

He half waited for the next response - for an evil laugh, but none followed.

His head cocked slightly in curiousity and he lokoed at Millard, not daring to trust quite yet.

"You would?" He asked, his voice clearly carrying his disbelief.

[Maester Wargrave]

"Is there any reason for me not to assist you?"

[SashaKovalev]

Sasha had to chuckle at that one.

"Well, only a few moments ago you alluded to the possibility of killing me in private. Beyond that, its been made relatively clear that I am considered an enemy here, so yes, I suppose there is reason."

Then his expression sobered.

"But beyond that, no. I dont believe there would be another reason."

He looked away for a moment, and then back to Wargrave.

"What would I owe you in return?" He asked, his face set. He didnt believe this sort of help would come for free.

[Maester Wargrave]

"I will think of a payment at a later time. For now, let us go see about your ship."

The Dark Jedi began heading towards where Sasha's ship was parked.

"A word of caution, Mister Kovalev. If you continue, on this planet and in my presence, to associate yourself with the Sith Order...I cannot protect you from my collegues actions.

"You may be a member of their ranks...but here...here you are nothing but an 18-year old child, with a broken ship, and no Sith about."

He gave a wicked smile.

"Just a friendly reminder."

[SashaKovalev]

Sasha nodded. So long as it was negotiable, whatever his payment for this help would be, he could agree to it. He had been concerned that the demand would be something he wasnt capable of giving, as he had pledged his life to the sith order, and recently, to his new master, Lady Vader.

And with Wargrave's warning, he nodded again in understanding.

"Yes, Sir." He replied, as they made their way toward his ship. He understood all to well now, the danger that he could be in, and if he had somewhat of an ally, he would do as that ally requested in the interest of his own safety.

"Why do your...colleauges...hold so much animosity toward the sith?" He ventured to ask. He knew the question exposed his ignorance of the dark jedi, but if he was to be here for any bit of time, he wanted to understand a bit more about his situation. That, and he wanted to understand how his master was going to react to all of this if he ever got the chance to speak with her about it.

He was an intelligent kid, intelligent enough to know that most answers would not come without a question first.

[Maester Wargrave]

"Perhaps," Wargrave said with a bit of a smirk on his face, "You could ask one of them.

"I do not recommend Lady De'Ville though. You might not leave here alive."

[SashaKovalev]

Sasha rolled his eyes. That was one of the things, among the many, that he appreciated about his master. When he asked her a question, she gave him a straight answer. And he doubted that he would be asking the others - no - didnt doubt, knew he would not ask them.

And Lady De'Ville....if she was the one he had met at the gatesl....he understood her hatred. She had mentioned being the banished one. And he knew it was a very real possibility that she would kill him for asking. Would possibly kill him just for being what he was.

"Lady De'Ville...she is the one who met me at the gates?"

He had a million other questions he wanted to ask, certainly he wanted to know how Wargrave intended to help him find his father, but he would likely have to wait. In time, the answers were likely to come. Wargrave, it seemed, had his own agenda, and the sith knight could do nothing but follow it if he hoped to ever leave this planet, and have the help he needed to find his father.

He wasnt sure how Wargrave intended to go about this. Sasha knew nothing of his father. And his mother had told him little more of herself. The only thing he truly knew of his mother was that his violet eyes had come from her.

"How do you plan to find my father?" He asked. He also wondered how and when he would be allowed to leave Vjun, but the answer to his question would possibly be tied to that answer, and so he made every attempt to be patient. To seem concerned about such a thing would hardly be becoming of a knight.

[Maester Wargrave]

"I have...an associate on Balmorra. His name is Grand Admiral Millard," Wargrave handed Sasha a datapad, hidden somewhere within the depths of his robes.

The design on the datapad was that of the Balmorran Empire. The Balmorran Emperor, Tyrel Kiterix, had designed it...pre-emptively, after the collapse of the Empire.

"Give this to Millard. Tell him...someone close to him gave it to you. He will understand" Wargrave hid the smile he had. If only young Sasha knew that Wargrave was Millard.

To a degree, Wargrave wondered if field officers in Imperial Intel felt a certain elation when deceiving a contact, or feeding a bit of misinformation. He'd have to ask Jaranda Piett-Tomar (his head of Intelligence) on that subject.

"I will ask, do you know anything about your father, you might be able to tell me or Millard? Any, noticable attributes?"

[SashaKovalev]

Balmorra. The planet he knew, had changed hands many times. But it was known mostly for its weapons manufacturing - mostly imperials weapons and AT-STs. So he could only assume that the Grand Admiral on Balmorra was probably an Imperial. He had been raised on a planet overrun with Imperials. Most of his friends were now members of the navy. He should have known he would never escape it. Not even by going as far away as the Sith Order.

Sasha accepted the datapad, giving it a curious glance for a moment before tucking it deep into a pocket inside the cloak he wore.

He didnt think finding this Millard would be an easy thing to do, but he was willing to give it a chance. He had to trust that he wouldnt be walking into some sort of sick trap set by Wargrave, it was his only chance.

"I never met my father." He stated in answer to the question. He felt the heat of...shame, perhaps, rise to his cheeks. What could he tell them? Little. Very little.

"My mother would tell me nothing of him, save the fact that I have his temperment. That she would tell me that was the only thing that led me to believe that she actually knew who my father was." He added, the tone of his voice carrying his resentment he felt.

"I have my mother's strange eye color." He was silent for a moment, as he recalled the bits and pieces he knew. And then remembering, he spoke.

"I found a lightsaber years ago, when I was a child. I dont know that it belonged to my father...but from my mother's reaction I believe it did." He could picture it perfectly. Could describe the intricate detail of it.

"And my mother...she had an accent. It wasnt one I've heard before."

It was odd to tell these things to a stranger. He had never spoken to anyone of these things.

[Maester Wargrave]

"Hmm...interesting," Wargrave seemed to ponder over the knowledge briefly.

To a degree there was a bit of similarity between someone Wargrave used to know and Sasha, although the Dark Jedi could yet place it. It would be weeks before he figured out what it was that bothered him.

"Millard is not someone difficult to find. Although use caution. Also, make sure you have the right clearance codes. There are some on the datapad. The will work only once...so use them wisely.

"Is that understood?"

[SashaKovalev]

Sasha took this information and stored it within his mind. He wasnt surprised that the clearance codes would work only once. He might have been slightly concerned, only he did not intend to screw up - he would not screw up - not something this important.

He nodded.

"Yes, Sir. I understand." He replied.

He sighed deeply as they walked, his eyes scanning the bleak horizon. He wanted to ask why Wargrave would remain on such a place, but knew it to be a riduculous question. As he was pulled in the direction of the order, Wargrave must have felt some connection to the others who were here. The others who would have seen him die by acid rain.

"Will the others allow me to leave?" He asked as they approached his ship.

[Maester Wargrave]

Wargrave gave Kovalev a look of anger mixed with mockery.

"Have you not been paying attention, Mister Kovalev," he gave a sneer as his shot a stare at the younger Sith.

"Do you not see the datapad in your hand? Do your ears filter out words or is your mind that tiny as to not realize what I have given you?"

"Is there any wonder why you haven't found your father yet, if you do not observe what is going on around you."

The Dark Jedi sighed, "You will be allowed to leave if you pay attention. Does your master not teach you the benefits of observation?!?"

[SashaKovalev]

He stopped in his tracks.

"Blame me for my stupidity all you like, but do not blame my master." His violet eyes staed at Wargrave, his fist clenched tightly around his saber in ager.

"You quite kindly " this word was said with thick sarcasm, "let me know before that you could not not be responsible for the actions of your colleagues if I chose to associate myself with the Sith order."

"And while going forward I understand it wise to keep my mouth shut on the matter, I dont have the ability to take that piece of information back from those who know it."

The anger was visible in the flush in his cheeks, and the tone of his words. He turned away, willing back the confusion that he felt.

Sasha didnt believe that this man would help someone he felt to be completely incompetant, yet with every opportunity, he made some sort of disaparaging remark. The young sith took them in, willing himself to learn from them. They shouldnt have mattered so much to him. Why should he care what this man thought of him? Yet...never having had a male role model, it was likely that there was a part fo him that sought some sort of approval.

[Maester Wargrave]

Unbeknownest to Sasha, Wargrave had been testing the young Sith ever since he set foot on Vjun. There was something in the you man the older Dark Jedi saw. The boy had ambition, and also knew to keep his anger in check (if barely).

Wargrave smiled.

"I never called you stupid, Mister Kovalev. Only question your ability of observation. Tell me...what do you see now? What do you...feel...about this...situation."

[SashaKovalev]

The smile unnerved him. It seemed sincere, as if wargrave was honestly amused. But he knew not to always believe what he saw.

He paused for a moment before answering the question. A part of him told him not to lie, but not to be completely honest. The other part of him told him to be completely honest, and foolish or not, this was what he chose to do.

Had he chosen to lie, Wargrave would likely have known, and Sasha much preferred to play it straight.

"I dont think it matters so much what I see." He responded.

"I know my eyes can betray me." Not that he intended to walk through life with his eyes shut, but he tended to lean a bit more on the force, and what he felt through it, rather than what he saw.

"But if you must know, what I see about this situation is a confident man, who knows Im in a bad situation and finds amusement in toying with me. One who attempts to anger me for pure amusement. By looks of the situation, you're walking me to my ship and Im going to be permitted to leave here and go find my father with the help of your...friend."

"What I feel is...." He paused for a moment, looking back to Wargrave before he spoke.

"What I feel is different. I dont know why you've offered to help, but the feeling that I have is that this isnt just a game to you. You arent mocking me with every step just for amusement. There is some sort of purpose behind it."

His eyes looked away and then back again.

"And I feel that while I can trust you to some degree, I would be wise to never let down my guard."

[Maester Wargrave]

"Ever observant are we, Mister Kovalev. Quite good."

The two were at the ship now.

"How damaged is the ship?"

[SashaKovalev]

Sasha accepted the comment in silence.

As they approached the ship, Sasha laid a hand affectionately upon the hull. He had learned to fly only a while ago, being taught personally at times by the captain of the Sith gambling cruiser, the Saiatah High Roller. Flying had been something he'd wanted all his life to do. He had grown up wanting to be a TIE pilot, and might have been, had various events in his life not turned out the way they had.

Instead he was a member of the Sith Order. But he hadnt let this prevent him from his dream of learning to fly, and now that he finally had a ship, though borrowed from the order, he was loving the freedom it provided to him.

He sighed softly.

"Theres nothing wrong with it, except that the fuel guage has been tampered with and Im out of fuel. I should have stuck around while it was being refueled." He admitted, shaking his head in annoyance with himself. He knew all too well now, that his ship had not been refueled at his last stop. Instead the guages had been tampered with, and he'd paid for nothing but a major headache.

[Maester Wargrave]

"Then you are all ready learning, Mister Kovalev," Wargrave nodded as he stared at the ship.

"This is why I prefer the old TIE Fighter design. The Twin Ion Engines provided enough power to never be refilled. Not for a while at least."

He tapped his stone-like chin, as if pondering something deep.

"I see two options for you. Either you can wait here and we can see if the castle has any fuel...

His bright blue eyes flashed at the next statement, "Or I can call in a...favor...and have an Imperial Star Destroyer take you to Balmorra. It can be here in the hour...if you believe you will not last that long."

Wargrave smiled a wicked smile.

[SashaKovalev]

Was it praise that he heard in those words? Possibly. But there wasnt time to wonder about it. This next decision would be...crucial.

Neither option was particularly appealing. To remain here was certainly a risk. No fuel wouldnt get him very far, in fact, it wouldnt get him anywhere. And the Star Destroyer, he knew, would be able to provide that. He'd never been on one, and wasnt crazy about having to deal with Imperials. And worse, he wasnt entirely sure that Wargrave wasnt sending him to his grave this way, either.

But he weighed the options.

"I can survive." He replied, his voice carrying more annoyance at the obviously evil and calculating smile than confidence.

"If my ship goes with me, then I'll be indebted to you for calling in this... favor." He answered.

Provided I live long enough to pay it off... He thought to himself, quite unhappy with the situation he was in.

[Maester Wargrave]

Wargrave smiled a tight smile.

"Very well...I shall have a Star Destroyer pick you up. You may gather your things in your ship."

He began walking away, then turned.

"In case you were wondering, the Star Destroyer is the Superior commanded by a Commodore Tomar. He will have what you need. And he will take you to Balmorra if you wish."

And with that, Wargrave deemed the conversation over and began walking back towards Bast.

[SashaKovalev]

He nodded in understanding as Wargrave let him know that the Star destroyer would be coming. This wasnt really how he wanted things to work out. He would have preferred to fly there on his own, but logically, he understood how much easier it would be to get clearance if he arrived on a Star Destroyer. And perhaps Commodore Tomar would be a bit...friendlier. And able to provide a bit of useful information.

He had no need to gather his things - he made it a habit to keep the things he needed with him. Having grown up with very little, he wasnt a material sort of kid. The few things that mattered to him, he always carried on his person.

With Wargrave's last few words, he turned to walk off towards the castle. Sasha watched Wargrave for a moment, still not quite understanding the guy.

"Thank you for your help." He finally called out. His voice was sincere, despite the fact that he still had doubts about exactly what had inspired Wargrave to this seemingly out of character act of kindness. But then, he had returned Sasha's lightsaber...so perhaps this wasnt so out of line.

And then...he waited.